Worldwide: Immigration Processing and Delays During the Holiday Season
December 23, 2021
At a Glance
- During the holiday season, many government offices worldwide will close or have reduced staff and operating hours, likely resulting in processing delays for work permits, residence permits and visas over the coming weeks and into the new year.
- Employers and foreign nationals with travel or relocation plans between now and early 2022 should contact their immigration service provider to discuss the impact of holiday closures on their specific circumstances.
- These closures are in addition to closures of government offices due to COVID-19. Check Fragomen’s dedicated website for up-to-date information on COVID-19-related government closures, travel restrictions and other related information.
Algeria
The immigration authority will be closed January 1 and 12, 2022.
Angola
All public entities will be closed on December 24, 2021 from 12:00 (local time) and reopen on December 27, 2021. The entities will again be closed on December 31, 2021 from 12:00 (local time) and reopen on January 3, 2022.
Argentina
Government offices are expected to close December 24 and 31, 2021.
Australia
The immigration authority will be closed December 27-28, 2021 and January 3, 2022.
Austria
The immigration authority in Vienna will be closed December 24 and 31, 2021, and January 6, 2022. In general, reduced staff during the year-end period may delay processing times.
Azerbaijan
Government offices will be closed December 31, 2021 and January 1-4 and 20, 2022.
Bahrain
Government offices will be closed December 16-17, 2021 and January 1, 2022.
Bangladesh
Government offices will be closed on December 16 and 25, 2021.
Brazil
Government offices will be closed December 24 and 31, 2021. The government may also announce additional national holidays on short notice.
Brunei
Government offices will be closed December 25, 2021 and January 1, 2022.
Cambodia
Government offices will be closed January 1 and 7, 2022.
Canada
Government offices will be closed December 27-28, 2021 and January 3, 2022. Foreign nationals entering Canada on those days should still be able to apply for work permits at ports of entry, although there may be reduced staff.
Chile
Government offices are expected to close at 12:00 (local time) on December 24 and 31, 2021.
China
Government offices will be closed on January 3, 2022.
Colombia
Government offices are expected to close early on December 24 and 31, 2021.
Costa Rica
Government offices will be closed December 23, 2021-January 4, 2022.
Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
The immigration authority will be closed December 25, 2021 and January 1, 2022.
Croatia
Government offices may work reduced hours on December 23, 2021 and will be closed January 6, 2022.
Czech Republic
Government offices will be closed on December 24, 2021.
Democratic Republic of Congo
The immigration authority will be closed December 25, 2021 and January 1, 2022.
Denmark
Danish immigration authorities will be closed December 23-January 3.
Dominican Republic
Government offices will close at 12:00 (local time) on December 24 and 31, 2021. Delays may be expected due to reduced workforce.
Ecuador
Government offices will be closed on December 24 and 31, 2021. Additionally, there may be delays due to a reduced workforce.
El Salvador
Government offices will be closed December 24, 2021 through January 2, 2022.
Estonia
Government offices will be closed December 23-26, 2021 and December 30, 2021-January 1, 2022.
Equatorial Guinea
The Ministry of Security will be closed on December 24, 25 and 31, 2021 and January 3, 2022.
Ethiopia
The immigration offices will be closed December 25-26, 2021 and January 1, 2022.
Finland
Government offices will be closed December 24-25, 2021 and January 1 and 6, 2022. In general, reduced staff during the year-end period will delay processing.
France
Government offices will be closed December 25, 2021, and January 1, 2022. Applicants should anticipate processing delays due to limited staff during the holiday period, both at consular posts, Office Français de l’Immigration et Intégration (OFII) offices and local prefectures.
Ghana
All public entities will be closed December 24 and 31, 2021; and January 1, 2022.
Greece
Government offices will be closed December 25-26, 2021 and January 1 and 6, 2022.
Guatemala
Government offices will be closed December 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31, 2021.
Honduras
The immigration and labor authorities will be closed December 23, 24, 30 and 31, 2021. The Supreme Court of Justice (in charge of document certifications) is closed December 16, 2021 through January 3, 2022.
Hong Kong SAR
The immigration authority will be closed December 25-27, 2021 and January 1, 2021.
Hungary
Labor and immigration authorities will be closed December 24, 2021-January 3, 2022. To compensate, public offices will be open December 11, 2021. Between December 24, 2021 and January 3, 2022, all public offices will operate with limited staff, which may delay processing times.Indonesia
Indonesia
There are no government office closures during the holiday period.
Iraq
Government offices will be closed on December 10 and 25-26, 2021 and January 1 and January 6, 2022.
Iraqi Kurdistan
Government offices will be closed December 10 and December 25, 2021 through January 1, 2022.
Israel
Though there are no scheduled closures in December or January, some consulates may have limited opening hours due to regional bank holidays. Travelers should check consular and government office websites before visiting.
Italy
Government offices are expected to be closed on December 25-26, 2021, January 1 and January 6, 2022.
Japan
The immigration authority will be closed December 23, 29-31, 2021 and January 1-3, 2022. Delays due to limited staffing should be expected around this time.
Kazakhstan
Government offices will be closed December 1 and 16-17, 2021 and January 1-4 and 7, 2022.
Kenya
The immigration offices are closed December 25-26, 2021 and January 1, 2022.
Kosovo
The immigration authority will be closed January 1, 3 and 7, 2022.
Kuwait
The immigration authority will be closed January 1, 2021.
Latvia
Government offices will be closed on December 24 and 31, 2021.
Lithuania
Government offices are expected to be closed December 24-26, 2021 and January 1, 2022. In general, reduced staff during the year-end period may delay processing times.
Luxembourg
There are no government closures during the holiday season.
Macau
Government offices will be closed December 8, 20-21, 24-27 and 31 (afternoon only), 2021, and January 1 and 3, 2022.
Madagascar
Government offices will close early on December 24, 2021 and will reopen December 27, 2021; and will be closed December 30, 2021 and will reopen January 3, 2022.
Malaysia
Immigration offices across Malaysia (both East and West Malaysia) are expected to close early on December 24 and 31, 2021.
Malta
Government offices will be closed December 25, 2021 and January 1, 2022.
Mauritius
The Economic Development Board will be operational on December 24, 2021 until 11:00 (local time), and operational on December 31, 2021 until 11:00 (local time)
The Passport Immigration Office will be closed on December 25, 2021. The office will remain operational on December 24, 26, and 27, 2021. The office will resume work on January 3, 2022.
Mexico
The National Immigration Institute will be closed to the public December 20, 2021 through January 2, 2022. It is expected that the INM will continue to adjudicate cases that are filed prior to the closures, but it will not accept immigration applications while closed to the public.
Montenegro
Government offices will be closed January 1, 3, and 6-8, 2022.
Morocco
Government offices will be closed on January 11, 2022.
Mozambique
The Labour and Immigration Departments will be closed December 25, 2021 and December 31, 2021.
Myanmar
Government offices will be closed December 24-25, 2021 and January 1, 2022.
Namibia
All public entities will be closed on December 24, 2021 as from 12:00 (local time) and reopen December 27, 2021. The offices will again be closed on December 31, 2021 from 12:00 (local time) and reopen on January 3, 2022.
Processing of immigration documents is expected to slow down the week before Christmas and the week between Christmas and New Year. Government authorities will operate with a skeletal staff for Short Term Visas, but long-term permits will not be processed until the end of January 2022. Processing of long-term permits will resume the first week of February 2022.
Nepal
There are no government office closures during the holiday period.
Netherlands
Government offices will remain open during the holiday season, however Dutch Immigration Services will close their phone lines at 15:30 (local time) on December 24 and 31, 2021. In general, reduced staff during the year-end period is expected to delay processing times.
New Zealand
The immigration authority is closed December 24, 2021-January 4, 2022 (inclusive). Offices will be operating with limited staff December 29-31, 2021 (processing will only be available for emergency applications).
Nigeria
Nigerian government and immigration offices are closed on December 25-26, 2021 and January 3, 2022.
North Macedonia
Government offices will be closed on December 8, 2021 and January 6, 7, and 19, 2022.
Pakistan
There are no announced closure dates.
Panama
Government offices are expected to close at 12:00 (local time) on December 24 and 31, 2021. Delays may be expected due to reduced workforce.
Peru
Government offices will be closed on December 24, 27 and 31, 2021, and January 3, 2022.
Philippines
Government authorities will be closed December 24, 30, and 31, 2021.
Poland
Government offices will be closed December 24, 2021 and January 6, 2022. Consular posts typically observe Polish national holidays and are similarly expected to close on these days. Reduced staff during the year-end will delay processing times.
Portugal
Public offices will be closed on December 24, 2021 on the Mainland.
On the Islands, public offices will close December 23, 2021 at 12:00 (local time) and will be closed December 24 and 31, 2021.
Qatar
Government offices will be closed December 18, 2021 and are expected to close on another date surrounding this holiday.
Romania
Government offices will be closed December 25-26, 2021. Government offices are expected to be closed or close early on other days in December, but these dates are typically announced on short notice. In general, reduced staff during the year-end period is expected to delay processing.
Russia
Government offices will be closed December 31, 2021-January 9, 2022.
Rwanda
The immigration offices are closed December 25-26, 2021 and January 1, 2022.
Serbia
Government offices will be closed January 1-3 and 7, 2022. In general, reduced staff during the year-end period is expected to delay processing times.
Singapore
Government offices will be closed December 25, 2021 and January 1, 2022.
Slovakia
Government offices will be closed December 24, 2021, and January 6, 2022. In general, reduced staff during the year-end period is expected to delay processing times.
Slovenia
Government offices will be operating at a limited capacity with reduced hours on December 24 and 31, 2021. In general, reduced staff during the year-end period is expected to delay processing times.
South Korea
There are no government office closures during the holiday period.
Spain
Government offices will be closed December 6-8, 2021 and January 6, 2022. Generally, reduced staffing during the year-end period is expected to delay processing times, especially on December 24 and 31, 2021, as well as January 5, 2022.
Sri Lanka
Government offices will be closed December 18 and 25, 2021 and January 14 and 17, 2022.
Sweden
Government offices will be closed December 24 and 31, 2021, and January 6, 2022. Applicants should anticipate processing delays due to limited staff during the holiday period.
Switzerland
Government offices will be closed on the following days:
- Aargau: The Office of Economy and Labour (AWA) and the Office of Migration Services will be closed from 12:00 (local time) on December 24, 2021-January 2, 2022.
- Basel: The Office of Economy and Labour (AWA) and the Office of Migration Services will be closed from 12:00 (local time) on December 24, 2021-December 26, 2021 and from 12:00 (local time) on December 31, 2021-January 2, 2022.
- Bern: The Office of Migration Services and the Office for Economy will be closed from 12:00 (local time) on December 24, 2021-December 27, 2021 and from 12:00 (local time) on December 31, 2021-January 2, 2022.
- Bund: The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) will be closed December 24, 2021-December 26, 2021 and from 11:00 (local time) on December 31, 2021-January 2, 2022.
- Genf: The Office of the Inspectorate of Labour Relations (OCIRT) and the Cantonal Office for Population and Migration (OCPM) will be closed December 24, 2021-January 2, 2022.
- Liechtenstein: The Office for Economics (AVW) and the Immigration and Passport Office (APA) will be closed December 24-December 27, 2021 and December 31, 2021-January 3, 2022.
- Luzern: The Office of Economy and Work (WIRA) and the Office of Migration Services will be closed December 24, 2021-January 2, 2022.
- Schaffhausen: The Office of Economy and Labour (AWA) and the Office of Migration Services will be closed December 24, 2021-January 2, 2022.
- Solothurn: The Office of Economy and Labour (AWA) and the Office of Migration Services will be closed from 12:00 (local time) on December 24, 2021-January 2, 2022.
- Vaud: The Controle du Marche and the Office of Population Services will be closed December 24, 2021-January 2, 2022.
- Zug: The Office of Economy and Labour (AWA) and the Office of Migration Services will be closed December 24, 2021-January 2, 2022.
- Zürich: The Office of Economy and Labour (AWA) and the Office of Migration Services will be closed December 23, 2021-January 2, 2022.
Taiwan
Government offices will be closed January 1, 2022.
Tanzania
The immigration offices are closed December 25-26, 2021 and January 1, 2022.
Thailand
Immigration authorities will be closed December 5-6, 10 and 31, 2021, and January 3, 2022.
Trinidad and Tobago
Government offices will be closed December 27, 2021. Government offices are expected to operate at a limited capacity with reduced hours on December 24 and 31, 2021.
Tunisia
Government offices will be closed on January 1 and 14, 2022.
Turkey
Government offices will be closed January 1, 2022.
Uganda
The immigration offices are closed December 25-26, 2021 and January 1, 2022.
United Arab Emirates
Government authorities will be closed January 1, 2022.
United Kingdom
Government offices will be closed December 24-28, 2021 and January 3, 2022. In general, reduced staff during the year-end period may delay processing times.
Uruguay
The National Immigration Directorate will close at 12:00 (local time), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at 13:00 (local time), on December 24 and 31, 2021. Delays may be expected due to reduced workforce.
Venezuela
Government offices will be closed December 24 and 31, 2021. The government may also announce additional national holidays on short notice.
Vietnam
Government offices will be closed December 24 and 31, 2021 and January 3, 2022.
Zambia
All public entities will be closed on December 24, 2021 and December 31, 2021. The entities will reopen on January 3, 2022.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
